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Dallas City Hall said no to reopening Columbia Packing Company in Oak Cliff after hearing from residents who live near the plant that is accused of dumping pig blood into the Trinity River. (Published Wednesday, April 18, 2012)

Updated at 11:56 PM CDT on Wednesday, Apr 18, 2012

The city of Dallas won a round Wednesday against a company accused of dumping pig blood in the Trinity River.

The Dallas City Council asked the Zoning Board of Adjustment for the ruling, which essentially forbids Columbia Packing for reopening as a slaughterhouse.

Columbia Meat Packing Offers to Stop Slaughters

Columbia Packing Company is offering to stop slaughtering animals at its Oak Cliff location after Dallas discovered intentional dumping into the Trinity River. But in return, Columbia wants to reopen the rest of its meat packing plant on 11th Street in Dallas. (Published Monday, March 12, 2012)

The company was closed in January after aerial photos and criminal investigators confirmed pig blood entered Cedar Creek and the Trinity River behind the plant.

Company employees and supporters faced off with angry plant neighbors at the Board of Adjustment hearing.

"It's a real head-scratcher for me, an incredible head-scratcher for me. This has been going on for so long, and the neighbors had to put up with it, and there hasn't been a way until today to do something about it," said Samuel Gillespie, board member.

Company attorney Roger Albright said the hearing was unnecessary since the company had already agreed not to resume the slaughtering operation.

He said the company should be allowed to reopen as just a meat processing plant with slaughtering done elsewhere.

The company filed applications for new occupancy permits Tuesday.

"Now what we're counting on is the city shows us some good faith and helping us process the other permits so we can continue the meat processing and distribution business we've been doing for 75 years," Albright said.

Several Dallas council members have said they do not want Columbia to open again at that site.

City attorneys said at the hearing that a criminal investigation of the company's conduct is still ongoing.